Denver Broncos / NFL

Big need for speed on defensive lines as NFL draft nears

Defensive end Melvin Ingram might switch to linebacker in the NFL. (Rainier Ehrhardt, The Associated Press)

It is modern NFL economics. There is supply, as in the growing list of pass-happy offenses run by quarterbacks in a league bent on keeping scores high.

And there is demand, as in to chase a title, a defense has to assemble a front line that can slow down those quarterbacks — a front line that is big enough to stop the run and athletic enough to pressure the quarterback.

"It's a bigger, stronger, faster league," Broncos coach John Fox said. "And at that position, you might need the toughest combination of all that to find, the biggest, the strongest who are also among the fastest, the most athletic. There aren't many guys on the planet that can do all that."

As the Giants' two Super Bowl victories in the past five seasons show, the teams that can consistently do the most with the fewest numbers of players up front can flourish as most defensive coordinators are forced to use more and more players in pass coverage.

Which is exactly why so many personnel executives around the league, including the Broncos' John Elway, have taken such a concerted interest in the defensive linemen in this year's draft (April 26-28). The class is particularly deep at defensive tackle, a group led by the likes of LSU's Michael Brockers, Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox, Memphis' Dontari Poe and Connecticut's Kendall Reyes, players with speed, power and the versatility to fit multiple spots along the line of scrimmage.

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"We look for versatile players, guys that can play all over the front," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "We mix up our fronts up a lot."

"I think they're looking for everything," said Poe, a 346-pound NFL nose tackle in waiting. "The NFL is a passing league, you see it every Sunday. But if you can't stop the run, you're in a pretty bad situation too. You have to be able to do both. They want guys who can do both. I think I'm one of those guys."

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It's becoming tougher to find those guys as more and more high-speed spread offenses are being used in high school and college. Defenses have been forced to react, and use smaller players with the ability to cover more space and make tackles in the open field.

It makes the search for the big guys in the middle of an NFL defense more difficult. There is also the fact that many collegiate coaches who develop an athletic lineman with a big frame switch him to offensive tackle in the constant push for more offense. Georgia's Justin Anderson, Mississippi State's James Carmon, Washington's Senio Kelemete and Auburn's Brandon Mosley are all offensive tackles expected to be drafted this year who began their careers on defense.

"Matchups are very, very important for the defensive players now," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "You need to match up speed and athleticism, and you need to match up power-to-power along the front."

Many of the big men in this draft have shown that kind of athleticism. Cox, a 295-pounder who is projected to be a first-round pick, was once a member of his high school's 4x100 relay team, as well as a high jumper. South Carolina's Melvin Ingram, who some teams see as an outside linebacker, had one of the top-tier highlights of the season when the 264-pounder took the snap on a fake punt against Georgia and ran 68 yards for a touchdown.

Poe was the star of the league's scouting combine in February when he rumbled to a 4.98 clocking in the 40-yard dash. Brockers has been such a popular player on the board in recent weeks that he had scheduled visits with almost half the teams in the league at their respective facilities, including teams picking near the top, such as the Rams at No. 6, and teams much lower in the opening round like the Titans (20th) and Patriots (27th and 31st).

"I'm an explosive guy, very explosive," Poe said. "I've been saying most people think just because I'm big that I do nothing but power. But I have quickness, power. That's what it takes, having both."

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina. Few doubt his talent, but talent is often a wasted commodity. Coples carries plenty of questions about his effort and desire to improve.

Sleeper

Myles Wade, DT, Portland State. Perhaps Julius Thomas could give a little information to the Broncos on his former teammate. Wade is a 311-pound interior player who put up 225 pounds 42 times in the bench press at his pro day and had a 35½-inch vertical jump.

Colorado connection

A light crop as CU's Conrad Obi and CSU's Nuku Latu and James Morehead were the only defensive linemen to go through pro-day workouts.

Broncos' needs

The Broncos have room for new blood in the defensive front, particularly at tackle. They had no answer last season for offenses that spread them out on defense. The Broncos couldn't get to opposing quarterbacks enough with a four-man rush or stop the run out of their nickel and dime packages — five and six defensive backs, respectively.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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